Heika: After season in offense's shadow, Baylor defense gaining swagger with K-State win

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Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer

Kansas State Wildcats defensive back Dante Barnett (22) hits a sliding Baylor Bears quarterback Nick Florence (11) on a run play during the first half of play at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco on Saturday, November 17, 2012. Barnett was called for the penalty. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)

WACO — If ever a football team was ripe for internal strife, the numbers say it had to be Baylor.

For much of the season, the Bears have been ranked at the top of the Big 12 in offense and last in defense.

When you consider that quarterback Nick Florence is darn near keeping pace with the numbers Robert Griffin III put up in winning the Heisman Trophy last year, you really have to give the offense a break in measuring Baylor’s 5-5 record and 2-5 Big 12 mark.

Which means all the criticism should be laid at the feet of the defense.

But the Bears didn’t do that. Instead, the two sides pulled together, recorded one of the biggest upsets in school history last week — crushing then-No. 1 Kansas State 52-24 — and now have the chance to turn the season into something meaningful.

“It’s a good feeling,” said Florence. “It’s all coming together for us.”

Florence said the offense drew energy from the defense Saturday — especially the linemen. Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Bennett said the defense was able to shape an aggressive game plan because the offense grabbed a big lead. And head coach Art Briles said this is what they had in mind all season.

“It was good to see them come together and have fun playing the game,” Briles said of the upset at home that ended with fans storming the field.

“That was the thing I enjoyed, because it is supposed to be fun. And the only way to have fun is if you’re playing with everything you have and you have a lot of support with you.”

That support came from within when times were the toughest.

“I applaud the coaches, and I applaud Art, because we have never beaten them down,” said Bennett, the former SMU head coach who once was defensive coordinator at Kansas State.

“We have always said: ‘We have the offense, now we have to do our part.’ When you’re dealing with 18- to 22-year-old kids, you’re constantly nurturing their minds, and they have kept the faith.”

But when you’re allowing 504.0 yards and 37.9 points per game, it’s tough to stay positive — especially when the offense is averaging 565.6 yards and 43.6 points per game.

Truth be told, few people know that Baylor ranks second in the nation in offensive yardage or that Florence leads the FBS with 383.8 yards per game — more than Texas A&M Heisman hopeful Johnny Manziel.

That is what happens when you don’t win.

So did that ever become a problem within the team?

“The guys on the field, every week, we would tell ourselves, ‘We’re all we’ve got,’ and that started to become a slogan around here,” cornerback Ahmad Dixon said. “So we say that a lot, ‘We’re all we’ve got,’ and that means that we believe in ourselves.

“I like the way that nobody pointed fingers, nobody blamed another guy. Guys were actually taking the blame and owning up to it, and that’s something that helps build a team.”

Now, the Bears say they believe. The defense was improved in a 42-34 loss at Oklahoma two weeks ago, and it was dominant in the win against Kansas State. Against the Wildcats, the Bears’ defense only allowed scores when handed a short field, and it came up with three huge interceptions and made plays that swung momentum.

A return to health for some key players, and a bit of experience for some young players was all Bennett needed. He said the players deserve the credit, however, Briles said coaching has played a big part.

“Phil has handled it just like he has handled everything else in his coaching career,” Briles said. “He comes to work and studies, inspires, and prepares very well.”

But can the defense continue to improve? Needing one more win to become bowl eligible, the Bears face a talented Texas Tech team at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday and finishes at home against Oklahoma State.

“It’s been frustrating,” said Baylor linebacker Eddie Lackey. “You are harping so much on the mistakes you’re making that you take it from one game to the next. But we were able to make a positive out of it, and now we have to have the same type of positive energy and the same type of focus going forward.”

Follow Mike Heika on Twitter at @MikeHeika

Ranking Baylor’s offense, defense

Baylor’s offense and defense have been on different sides of the national statistical rankings. Here are the numbers heading into Saturday’s game against Texas Tech:

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